Arna's Children on AllMovie

Arna Mer was a devout Israeli Jew who served in her nation's army as a teenager and fought for the cause of freedom for Israel. Arna later fell in love with a Palestinian man, and as she became disenchanted with Israel's policies, Arna began to actively support Palestine. In her later years, Arna Mer Khamis opened a learning center for children in Palestine after Israeli troops closed the nation's schools during their occupation, and Arna, with her son Juliano, organized a children's theater troupe as part of their curriculum. Juliano often brought a camera to classes and rehearsals of his theater group between 1989 and 1996, and he and filmmaker Danniel Danniel used this footage as a starting point for the documentary Arna's Children. The film offers a look at youngsters growing up under trying and dangerous circumstances who have found joy and self-expression through art; later, Juliano and Danniel track down several of Arna's students, discovering that the grim realities of life in Palestine have not escaped them.